The primary purpose of the proposed work is to characterize possible lymphocyte abnormalities contributing to the elevated immunoglobulin levels frequently associated with liver disease. The primary aim is to determine if there exists an intrinsic B cell defect or whether extrinsic defects among regulatory cell subpopulations might be contributing factor. The studies are currently examining B cell colony formation and immunoglobulin production by lymphocytes from normal controls and hepatitis patients.